Farm Business Management and Benchmarking Competitive Grants Program (FBMB)
🏛 National Institute of Food and Agriculture-eRA (USDA-NIFA-ERA)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Jul 16, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for organizations and individuals supporting farm financial management education and research across the U.S. Eligible applicants include state agricultural experiment stations, colleges and universities, research foundations, federal agencies, national laboratories, private organizations, and individuals. Collaborative projects with two or more eligible partners are encouraged. The program supports innovative extension approaches that expand publicly available farm financial management databases and help farmers develop management skills aligned with USDA priorities.
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Program description
The FBMB program aims to strongly support innovative extension approaches and collaborative efforts to maintain and expand the publicly available national farm financial management database (FINBIN). Such efforts are needed to meet the challenges facing the Nation’s agriculture and food systems. Farmers, farm managers, and individuals involved in production agriculture must be educated and prepared to work effectively across disciplines to solve agricultural and educational challenges. Meeting these challenges will require projects that are timely, strategic, creative, and multidisciplinary. The FBMB program supports all farmers, ranchers, and producers to develop farm management knowledge and skills that are consistent with the agriculture and food systems priorities of the USDA.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- Completed application form (e.g., SF-424 or eRA equivalent)
- Project narrative/proposal
- Budget and budget justification
- Organizational background/capability statement
- Curriculum vitae or qualifications of key personnel
Program contact
- 👤 National Institute of Food and Agriculture-eRA
- 📧 grantapplicationquestions@usda.gov
- 📞 202-445-5402
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 10.319 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$739,811
-
$739,809
-
$739,154
-
$726,500
-
$720,448
-
$661,036
-
$646,005
-
$500,000
-
$499,961
-
$467,251
Top States by Funding
- MO 5 awards $2.7M
- NE 3 awards $1.6M
- MN 2 awards $1.4M
- TX 2 awards $1.0M
- NM 1 awards $0.6M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 10.319). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $1,407,912 | |
| 2025 | $1,918,489 | |
| 2026 est. | $1,913,830 |
FAQ
Who can apply for FBMB grants?
State agricultural experiment stations, universities, research foundations, federal agencies, private organizations, and individuals can apply. Collaborative partnerships with two or more eligible entities are welcome.
What is the typical award amount?
Awards range from $200,000 to $450,000. Total program funding is $2 million annually.
What activities does this grant support?
The program funds innovative extension approaches that expand the FINBIN database and improve farm financial management education for farmers and ranchers.
Is this a competitive grant?
Yes, this is a competitive grants program. Applications must demonstrate how projects will address timely, strategic, and multidisciplinary agricultural challenges.
When is the deadline?
The deadline is July 20, 2026. This is a fixed annual deadline, not rolling.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Emphasize how your project expands or improves FINBIN, the national farm financial database.
- Build partnerships between universities, extension services, and farm organizations to strengthen your application.
- Connect your project clearly to USDA agricultural and food systems priorities.
- Show how farmers will directly benefit from improved financial management knowledge and skills.
- Provide evidence that your extension approach is innovative and meets real needs of production agriculture.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Failing to demonstrate a clear connection to FINBIN or national farm financial management priorities. Submitting siloed projects that lack collaborative partnerships across disciplines or sectors. Weak evaluation plans that don't measure farmer adoption of new financial management skills.
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